Powerful! Once I started, I couldn’t put this book down. The intertwining of generations of women was skillfully done, laying the foundation of why Nikki’s role was so essential in helping her family. As a North Carolinian, born and raised, this was an amazing journey through American Black history, from generations of slaves to the freed people of the Kingdom, to the current descendants, some who don’t believe there ever was a kingdom. The author effortlessly delivers on the human struggle and incredible sadness for Black people post Civil War, while also centering the beautiful, lighthearted, and often messy pieces of family relationships.

Interesting premise and loved the dual timelines. Characters felt a bit flat and didn't love the writing style.
Loved the author's previous book more.

If I could recommend only one book for 2025, it would unequivocally be Dolen Perkins-Valdez's 'Happy Land.' The captivating cover immediately drew me in, but the story itself held me spellbound. Unlike my usual binge-reading habits, I savored every word of this multigenerational historical fiction, reflecting deeply on its poignant themes. Based on a true, yet largely unknown, event in U.S. history, the dual POV narrative, spanning past and present, follows two resilient women fighting to preserve their family's land. This is a powerful story of love, family, and the enduring strength of generations of women. 'Happy Land' delivered chills and sparked a fervent desire to learn more about Luella Montgomery and the Kingdom of the Happy Land. This is a vital piece of American history, and I predict this novel will be a defining release of 2025.

Reading Happy Land felt like uncovering a hidden piece of history that had been waiting to be told. Dolen Perkins-Valdez masterfully brings to life the journey of formerly enslaved Black women who are sent to Iowa’s tobacco fields after the Civil War—a narrative I had never encountered before. The story is both heartbreaking and hopeful, filled with moments of deep struggle and quiet triumph.

The novel is beautifully written, deeply researched, and emotionally gripping. This isn’t just a book—it’s an experience. If you love historical fiction that sheds light on untold stories and leaves you thinking long after the last page, Happy Land is absolutely worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free copy for an honest review. I enjoyed this book. I also found it very informative, in a very tragic way. Naively, I have so much to learn about the history of slavery in our country and in this story, I learned that that 90% of the generational wealth has been stolen from African Americans and their descendants, often through violence or nefarious means. The book also illustrated how any gains made through the right to vote or purchase land, were quickly recalibrated by racist people by almost immediate violence. It's terrible and heartbreaking and still happening today. But I am glad I read it, it's so important.

I loved(!) @dolenperkinsvaldez previous novel, Take My Hand, so I know this would be another important and emotional book shining light on historical truths. In this case, heir property.

I first learned of heir property loss after reading Long After We Are Gone last year (also highly recommend) so this wasn’t a new topic to me but that didn’t make it any less astonishing.

I loved the past timeline, diving into the rich history of the Kingdom—the community they built and the way they fought to hold onto it. I also found myself enjoying the present timeline as well, as Nikki embarks on a journey of self-discovery, realizing how profoundly our identities are shaped by the legacy of our families.

A must read story inspired by true events. Thank you @berkleypub for the #gifted e-arc. HAPPY LAND comes out April 8th.

The Kingdom of Happy Land resided in North Carolina, far in the mountains. Ruled by Queen Luella, the kindgom was a haven for freed slaves, ready to start over and have pride in owning their own land. But 100 years later, the decendants of the kindgom are at risk of losing the remaining land due to the heirs property law.

In present day, Nikki heads down to North Carolina to help her failing grandmother, Mother Rita. Mother Rita is stubborn and speaks in riddles, always talking about the kindgom land, The secretative nature and riddles drive Nikki crazy. So while visiting Mother Rita, she decides to do some more research into the kingdom and her ancestors, and what she finds not only helps her understand Mother Rita more, but also brings her a sense of pride in her heritage.

As the past and the present are woven together in this story, I felt all the emotions. Fascination at this real life kingdom here in the US, anger at the treatment of the slaves, frustration with some of the characters and their choices, pride and love for the strength ofNikki and Mother Rita and their ancestors, adoration for Queen Luella and ultimately tears through the end of the book.

First off I don’t even like historical fiction and I loved this book. It was so riveting and heartbreaking. I loved the tie in with the estate law information. Luella is a bad ass. I’m glad Nikki is getting a second chance. And I would be so scared of mother Rita

As a historical fiction lover. As a Black Woman. As a Black Woman with North Carolina Roots. This book is EVERYTHING. I loved the dual timeline, I loved the family dynamics, I loved the raw truthfulness of the story of the HappyLand. Luella is everything beautiful and vibrant about the elders in my own family. Lorelle and Nikki are my mother and my own pressures and obligations as the next generations. Hands down one of my favorite Historical Fiction books I’ve ever read.

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing for the eARC!

What an incredible book! Dolen Perkins-Valdez has such a way with words and storytelling. Happy Land is the story of free people that built their own kingdom with it's own King and Queen. This is a story. based on a true events told from a dual-timeline POV. One of my biggest takeaways from this story is that you dreams are never too far out of reach and to keep you imagination alive. Even the most far-fetched can become a reality.

I love this multi-generational story. It is told from the perspective of Nikki, who has been called by her grandmother, Mother Rita, for help in North Carolina. Nikki takes the opportunity to find out some other information that has caused a rift in her family and ends up learning way more than she could've imagined. We also get the POV of Luella, Nikki's great-great-great grandmother and the Queen of Happy Land.

I really love the dual timelines of the story and how everything connected. I loved Nikki's character and really empathized with her. She really grew as a person, starting as someone who felt somewhat lost and complacent, while still wanting more for her own daughter. By the end of the story she grew so much and found a new life coming into her own. It's never too late to find yourself and find new things to fulfill you. As stubborn as Mother Rita was, I think the bond she forms with Nikki in the short time was beautiful. My favorite part of the story was always Luella's POV. Luella was a young girl and she was thrust into the role as Queen. Overtime the people of Happy Land really looked to her as a guiding light and she never gave up hope even in tough situations that seemed impossible to overcome. It was inspiring.

I also found this book very informative . It made me think of landownership and how much has been lost from our ancestors due to shady business and laws. In the author's note alone I feel like I learned a lot lol. I definitely find this subject really interesting and I find it especially interesting that Happy Land was a real place. I had never heard of this Kingdom until I read this book and I'm excited to learn more about it in general.

Everything I love most about historical fiction is here in this novel. It is based on an actual historical event with the author doing a deep dive to find the facts to base her story on. The characters living in the novel are more than just characters; they were real people with real emotions, fears, and dreams that are living again on the pages. It is absolutely a story that needed to be told.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Company for the ARC to read and review.

Another masterpiece by Perkins-Valdez! This time, we travel to the hills of Appalachia where a kingdom once stood. Modern day, Nikki visits her grandmother, Mother Rita, at her home in these hills. Mother Rita wants Nikki to learn about her ancestry. The story juxtaposes between the modern day with Nikki's story and the past with Luella, the first queen of the kingdom. I really connected with every character in this story. The author creates dimensional characters that could be real life people. This was such a wonderful book and I've already recommended it to others! Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley for the advanced copy!

✂️ P L O T L I N E
Nikki Berry reconnects with her estranged grandmother, Mother Rita, who shares an astonishing tale of their ancestor Luella, a queen in the Kingdom of the Happy Land, a once-thriving community of freed people in the hills of North Carolina. As Nikki uncovers the ruins and secrets of her family’s past, she realizes the land is her legacy and it is up to her to protect it before it is lost forever.

💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
t takes a lot for me to give a book five stars, but this one was incredibly impactful, a timely and important read. If you were a fan of Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘔𝘺 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥, you will appreciate the storytelling and meticulous research that went into this book. With historical fiction featuring dual timelines, I often find myself more drawn to the present day narrative. However, in this case, the opposite was true. I was completely captivated and inspired by Luella’s story. That being said, I also loved Mother Rita and the rest of the strong female characters. This is an entertaining yet powerful read about love, family, resilience, and the courage it takes to pursue a dream. Be sure to add this one to your TBR!

📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
👵🏻Multi-generational
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒Family and legacy
💪🏽Strong female leads
📖Storytelling
💡Self discovery
🗣️Multiple POVs
🔁Dual Timelines

🌷𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾🌷
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

💕Q U O T E: “𝑀𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒶𝓈 𝐼 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓁 𝓇𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓇𝒹, 𝒾𝓉 𝒹𝑜𝑒𝓈𝓃'𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝓈𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝑒𝓈𝓅𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓉 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓈. 𝒮𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝓅𝒶𝓈𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓂𝑜𝓊𝓉𝒽 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑜𝓊𝓉𝒽. 𝒮𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝒸𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓂 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇'𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓇."

🙏 Thank you NetGalley, Berkley, and Dolen Perkins-Valdez for this free eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

4.5 stars, rounded up.
I have always loved a good historical fiction and this title by Perkins-Valdez fit the bill. Based on real events following the Civil war when a group of freed slaves traveled from South Carolina to North Carolina to start a Kingdom, reminiscent of stories they were told by their elders of African Kingdoms. Told in dual timelines of the present and the years following the war we learn about the Kingdom and how one lone descendent is trying to hold on to her little part of the Kingdom.

The story is heavy on character development, exactly my kind of story I prefer. Nikki is the main character in today's timeline. Nikki goes to visit her grandmother in NC at her grandmother's request. She want's Nikki's help but is very secretive about what is going on with her land but also with her health. There are a lot of family secrets and they are slow to come out.

In the past timeline, we meet the people who started the Kingdom, how it was much needed and why it subsequently fell apart. Of course, the Klan had a part in both. The amount of research into this was immense and I really enjoyed the Author's Notes at the end.

I highly recommend the book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Another beauitful and devastating novel about a family legacy. Nicki knows her mother didn't have a good relationship with her Grandma Mother Rita, but as she goes back to the rural North Carolina land to stay with her grandma, she discover her family's legacy and ties to the land.

This book is just as stunning as its cover - both are absolutely unforgettable. If you loved Take My Hand by this author, you'll be captivated by this deeply moving story of history, family, and resilience.

In the hills of Appalachia, a community of formerly enslaved men and women built a kingdom inspired by their African heritage - a place where they could finally be free. But freedom doesn;t always last.

When Nikki is called back to North Carolina by her estranged grandmother, she expects answers about her own past. Instead, she learns about Queen Luella, her great-great-great-grandmother, and the powerful history of the land they stand on. As she pieces together the past, Niki realizes how much her identity is tied to this place - and how important it is to protect what was nearly lost.

This book beautifully weaves history with the present, shining light on a forgotten past while telling a deeply personal story. The writing is lyrical, the characters and setting felt so real, and the message of reclaiming one's roots is unforgettable.

A must read - 5 stars!!

This book about a kingdom in the mountains of the Carolinas was incredible!!! The dual story was not only compelling, it was gripping. I enjoyed reading about "Happy Land," while enjoying an alternate POV to another story I've previously read. Great read!

This book had me so mesmerized from the first chapter. The story within a story that Dolen Perkins- Valdez weaves is magical and I was stunned to find out that Luella Montgomery and the Happy Land Kingdom are in fact real and it made me swell with pride. I felt like the characters were so drawn out and I was so emotionally invested in the story of the Happy Land Kingdom and also the story of Nikki and her grandmother, Mother Rita. I feel like the characters could have been built out more and the story of the falling out between Nikkis mother and Mother Rita felt like an after thought to the story. Also, the strained relationship between Nikki and her daughter didn't seem built out well also.

I loved the relationship that Luella had with the Montgomery brothers and how over time each relationship was worked out. I can tell that the author did a lot of research for this book and it showed in the historical accuracy of the time period. To think that a Black woman owned land during this time and had the tenacity that Luella possessed is just amazing and I will definitely recommend this book to all of my friends. I just loved it so much!! Probably one of the best books I read this year so far.

Did y’all know that Black Americans lost upwards of $326 billion in land/wealth between 1910 and 1997?! Reading that in the authors note pissed me off so bad that I was up researching more about it.

This was such a rich multi-generational story that blends elements from both fiction and research. Since I read Take My Hand and loved it, I knew I had to get my hands on Happy Land. The deep ties between generations of Black Americans and land is at the center of this book. Without spoiling, we follow timelines set in the past and present that describe The Kingdom of Happy Land, a Black community ran by a King and Queen in North Carolina during the late 1800s (a real place btw!!). Woven into these timelines are stories about family, forgiveness, tradition, land ownership, community, family secrets… all of it!!

This was a character driven story from beginning to end, which I loved. What I love most about Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s writing is her ability to write such rich characters who experience a range of emotions and you’re forced to feel emotions right alongside them. I loved Nikki and empathized with her role as the glue to her family. Mother Rita was complicated lol but her stubbornness reminded me of the Black women in my family. Reading this book can feel slow for some people, but I personally enjoyed the pacing and development more than anything else.

After reading this book, I found myself desiring a relationship to land as someone who wasn’t born in the South, but knows that both sides of my family’s roots was tied to somewhere here at some point. I also found myself tempted to throw myself into knowing more about my family, who we are, where we came from, how we documented our lives. I always appreciated books that make me reflect deeply about my real life. Def recommend for all of my historical fiction girlies who like character driven stories!

I absolutely loved this book! This story was engaging and kept me wanting to know more throughout. We have two timelines both past and present. Both timelines were engaging but the past timeline was the star of the show.

Nikki’s grandmother has asked her to come fly down and see her, only she is a little hesitant because her mom and grandmother had a falling out that no one speaks of years prior.

Upon her arrival her grandmother tells her of her ancestors and a kingdom they created in the mountains that her great, great , great grandmother was the queen of. Is her grandmother crazy or could this really be her family history?

Read this book if you like
🌺Hope Admist Hardship
🌺Coming of Age
🌺Forbidden Romance

Thank you @netgalley & @berkleypub for this advanced E-Arc!